Agar.-Town and British military station in the Shajapur district of
the Gwalior State, Central India, situated in 23° 43' N. and 76° i' E.,
1,765 feet above sea-level, 41 miles by metalled road from Ujjain.
Population (1901), 10,442, of whom 3,990 persons reside in the military
station. The town is picturesquely placed between two large lakes, and
is surrounded by a battlemented wall built in the eighteenth century.
Agar takes its name from one Agra Bhil, who founded a settlement on
this site in the'tenth century. It was seized almost immediately by the
Jhala Rajputs, who continued in possession until the eighteenth century,
when it fell to Jaswant Rao Ponwar of Dhar. In I8o0 the district was
overrun by Bapuji Sindhia, who devastated the town, but it was restored
by Daulat Rao Sindhia a few years later. Until 1904 Agar was the
head-quarters of a district of the same name. A considerable traffic in
grain and cotton is carried on, and two ginning factories are at work. In
the Madhoganj quarter, outside the town, are situated the public offices,
the kXaemsddr's court, a school, a State post office, and a hospital.
The military station lies to the north of the native town, from which
it is separated by the Rataria Talao (or lake), being picturesquely
situated beside the lake and surrounded by fine trees. It was first
occupied in 1844 as a cantonment for the local corps. In I857 it was
held by the 3rd Regiment of Infantry, Gwalior Contingent, and some
guns from the Mehidpur Contingent. On July 4 the troops mutinied,
killing some of their officers; but a party of six men, four women, and
three children escaped, and, after many hardships, finally reached
British territory south of the Narbada'. Since I858 Agar has been
garrisoned by the Central India Horse, one of the new local corps raised
in place of those which had mutinied. From i860 to I895 Agar was also
the head-quarters of the Western Malwa Agency, the commandant of the
regiment holding collateral political charge. On the creation of the
present MALWA AGENCY, certain minor jurisdictional powers were
assigned to the commandant, who exercises the powers of a second-class
magistrate within the station limits.
Agartala.-Capital of the Hill Tippera State, Eastern Bengal and
Assam, and the residence of the Raja, situated in 23° 5I' N. and
9I° 2I' E. Population (1901), 9,513. The old town is built on the left
bank, and the new town on the right bank of the river Haora. Near the
palace in the old town is a small temple much venerated by the Tipperas,
which contains fourteen heads wrought in gold and other metals, which
represent their tutelary deities. A municipality was constituted in
I874-5. The income during the decade ending I90o averaged
Rs. I,Ioo, and the expenditure Rs. 3,800. In 1903-4 the total income,
including grants, was Rs. 6,700, of which Rs. 720 was derived from a
municipal tax; and the expenditure was Rs. 7,400. The town possesses
Times of India, August L1 I857.